Wednesday, May 16, 2018

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Red flyers went up on the windows of the El Centro Building last Wednesday, commanding construction on the East Canon Perdido structure to cease immediately.

City officials had issued a permit for interior demolition in March, but according to chief building official Andrew Stuffler, demolition work had ended and the project’s contractor, SkyeLine Construction, had started rebuilding without the necessary authorization.

Stuffler said that SkyeLine operator Skye McGinnes “has a history of working beyond the scope of his building permits and/or without any building permits.” Sources familiar with the El Centro situation said construction was taking place at night and over the weekends. As of press time, McGinnes has not responded for comment.

According to Jason Jaeger, principal of commercial real estate firm Jaeger Partners, which manages the space and oversees construction, “The current owners are bringing the El Centro Building into compliance with ADA and City building codes.” Jaeger said the remodel should be complete by the end of 2018. He offered no further comment.

Jaeger Partners purchased the property for $8 million in July and announced in September that rents would be tripling and quadrupling across its 28 suites. Many longtime tenants, including nonprofits, therapists, and a theater company, have since moved out. Jaeger Partners has stated it would like to bring in “wine tasting tenants” to occupy the building’s first floor, formerly rented by Voice Magazine.